Mako Check Ups
by Halo Cyan
Summary: The First Class SOLDIERS all react differently to getting their mako shots.
1. Genesis Rhapsodos

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 nor any of it's characters. This is a fan fiction written purely for entertainment.

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><p>Genesis Rhapsodos has a fiery temper. It is well known throughout the Shin-Ra company and to the general public. That temper is evident now as he enters the small medical room. He enters glaring at the furniture: a chair, a desk and the medical bed, then at me. His glare fades as he looks at me though. Instead, it is replaced by a sneer. I know he was expecting professor Hojo, but this time, I have been assigned to administer the mako shots. I can tell he thinks little of me: a small, slight woman with plain features; hardly the medical type. Very uninteresting.<p>

I nod at the medical bed and ask him to take a seat. He complies, his cold, azure eyes staring at me with something akin to distaste. He does not know me, but it is enough that I am here in the medical room for him to dislike me.

Finding his folder on the desk I shuffle though it to get the right page out.

_Genesis Rhapsodos_

_Age: 24_

_Height: 6'2"_

_Ideal Mako-blood Conc.: ..._

And so on.

Then the questions begin. Truly, they are mundane questions: "Have you experienced any blood loss in the last fortnight?" I ask, "Have you been ill in the last week?", "are you currently injured in any way for suffering from sickness?"

He replies in the negative to all the questions, drawling each _no_, making it sound as if he is unbearably bored. I nod.

I ask for his right hand, explaining that I need to check his blood-mako concentration before I can administer the shot. He knows that of course; he's been here many times.

I have to check his current blood-mako concentration to calculate the amount of mako to be injected into his system.

Genesis unwillingly takes his glove off and offers me his hand, turning away with a sniff as he does so. This man can show disdain with the smallest of gestures.

I take it in both mine. Genesis has very feminine hands. Slender and delicate in appearance. His nails are smooth and glossy and his palm is surprisingly soft for one who wields a sword all day.

With a small needle I prick his index finger. He huffs but makes no comment, still looking off to the side.

I can feel that his emotions towards me have changed. They have shifted from disdain to animosity. I can feel them radiating from him.

A small dot of crimson appears on his finger and I dab it onto a small pad on the blood-mako reader. The Reader is a small device that fits into the palm of my hand. It is green and white and mango shaped with a small white pad on one end and a grey screen in the middle.

As soon as I have taken the drop of blood, Genesis snatches his hand back and shoves his glove on. It is a harsh act, meant to intimidate me; to show that I have no control over him, even if the medical room is my territory. He does not relinquish authority. Ever.

The Reader blinks, a percentage showing on the small screen: 72%. His blood-mako concentration has dropped, as expected, from last month. So I calculate the amount of mako that is needed and load it into the syringe.

Each SOLDIER member has a specific ideal mako-blood concentration percentage. The scientists at Shin-Ra like to maintain that percentage for each SOLDIER, therefore the monthly visits to the medical room.

Genesis Rhapsodos wears a red leather coat. It has famously earned him the title "The Red Commander". It has become iconic of who he is. Now however, this coat is in my way.

"Please remove your coat, sir" I instruct politely. Genesis, who has been looking down at me, raises and eyebrow as if I have insulted him. His sneer returns.

"As you wish" he smirks and slips it off. Beneath it he is wearing something very close to the SOLDIER First Class uniform. Close, but not quite. It has a more refined look. The material of the jumper is smoother and a shade lighter. Like the First Class uniform, however, the jumper covers his neck and torso, but leaves his shoulders and arms bare. He had very muscled arms. The muscles are perfectly defined, stretching his smooth skin tight over them.

I lightly press his right upper arm with two fingers, trying to find a blood vessel amid the muscle. He looks down his nose at me the whole time. It does not make my task any easier.

Finding something gently throbbing, I rub the area with a cotton ball wet with antiseptic and insert the needle. It is a small needle. It goes in without resistance but Genesis still huffs then glares off at the chair in the corner of the room.

Once the shot has been administered, I press another ball of cotton against the needle wound but Genesis growls and jumps off the bed. He grabs his coat and stalks out of the room; his nose held high in the air. The cotton ball falls to the floor, stained with a small dot of red.

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><p>My first ever FF7 Fanfic. Yay! So robotic though.<p>

~Halo Cyan


	2. Angeal Hewley

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 nor any of it's characters.

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><p>I am nervous after having administered Genesis's mako shot. I wonder if all SOLDIER members are as cold as he is. But when Angeal Hewley walks in through the door, he doesn't look cold, he looks anxious. His eyebrows are knitted together and his shoulders are slightly hunched. He doesn't see me at first. I am standing by the table, picking out his file. Then he notices me and visibly relaxes. He even manages a faint smile. I am not the professor. Of that he is thankful.<p>

His smile puts me at ease too. He will not be hostile. I smile in return and motion for him to sit on the medical bed. Angeal does so.

The atmosphere in the room is not threatening, like it was with Genesis, it is calm. Perhaps not all SOLDIER are terrible.

Angeal is a big man. Broad chest and broad shoulders. He is also very tall. Taller even then Genesis. But he appears gentler.

I ask him the mundane questions and he answers "no" to all of them too. His voice pleasant and he smiles the whole time. It is not a sneer nor is it degrading or mocking. It is a genuine smile.

I ask for his right hand, explaining once again that I must first check his blood-mako concentration before administering the shot.

"Sure" he says. And takes off his glove. Angeal has rough hands. They are big and warm and he has dry skin.

I prick his finger and blood immediately wells out. I dab it onto the mako reader. Angeal takes his hand back, somewhat hesitantly as if he is not sure whether he is allowed to or not. Before putting his glove back on, he licks his finger, only to have another drop of blood squeeze out.

_Angeal is a bleeder_, I note and get a bandage for him.

"Thanks" He says, already peeling the cover off.

The Reader beeps: 74%.

Angeal's blood-mako concentration is almost at the optimum level. He needs very little mako now.

I ask him to take off his pauldrons and he does.

There is a small scar on Angeal's shoulder. It has remained white even though the skin around it has tanned. It looks like a star.

Angeal also has a lot of muscle. But his blood vessels stick out slightly above them so it makes one easy to find. I wipe over the vessel with antiseptic and insert the needle. Angeal sighs softly then asks if I enjoy working at Shin-Ra.

"I do" I tell him. Although it is not really the truth. I don't have much choice.

Angeal nods sagely. "Shin-Ra is a good company" He says.

Taking the needle out, I hastily press a cotton ball against the needle wound. Then reaching into my lab coat pocket, I pull out another bandage.

"Hold this please." I ask

He puts his hand over mine to secure the cotton ball. He has big hands. They make mine look like a child's. I slip mine away and peel the bandage's cover off.  
>"Please move your hand, sir"<p>

He lets go and I stick the plaster over it.

"All done" I say. And he gets off the bed.

He nods in my direction. "Thanks." He says and walks out of the door.

I really hope all the next patients are like him.


	3. Sephiroth

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 nor any of it's characters.

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><p>I feel his presence before he enters the small medical room. It precedes him like a dark, awe inspiring cloud. By the time he opens the door and steps inside, I already have the correct file and the correct page.<p>

_Sephiroth._

Yes, that is what it says. I am not a nervous person, nor am I one to show much emotion. But this man evokes something similar to fear within me. Perhaps it is due to his phenomenal popularity among the public or because of the truly frightening stories that surround him.

He walks in with his long black cape swishing behind him and his silver hair falling just past his knees. His hands are bunched into fists and his shoulders are tense. His scent fills the room. Musky antiperspirant mixed with the signature smell of his top-of-the line shampoo. He, like Genesis, glares around the room, his icy gaze finally resting on me. I feel myself shrinking under his gaze. I feel insignificant, like a specimen on a lab dish. As if I was nothing but an object.

"Where is Hojo?" he asks abruptly. He is not polite, he does not dither.

"The professor is out on business. I will be administering your mako shot today." I reply. My voice is small and slightly wavering. "Please, take a seat on the bed."

He does not move immediately, but continues to stare at me as if trying to gauge if I am any threat. I am not. He could easily overpower me if he needed to. He could walk away if he wanted and I wouldn't be able to do a thing. Of course, if he did that, I would get in trouble for not administering his mako shot.

He is the coldest person I have ever met. If Genesis was fire. He would be ice. The coldest of ices.

He finally walks over to the bed and seats himself. He has a long loping stride. He looks around before giving me his attention.

I clear my throat. ""Have you experienced any blood loss –?"

"No, no and no."

I am taken aback by his brusqueness. It borders on rudeness. But I cannot say anything to him. I am just a runner for the science department, and he is the famous Shin-Ra General. I am inferior.

"Sir, I will need to take a blood sample..."

He shoves his hand at me. He has already ripped the glove off.

"Hurry up." He growls. I take his hand. To my surprise, it is sweaty and slightly shaking. Only then do I notice his other hand. It is clenching the side of the bed; the nails digging into the thin mattress.

Sephiroth is_ afraid._ The great General Sephiroth is _afraid_. But why?

I look up at him. He is frowning at me. His face is very close. He has thin lips and very fair skin. Just a hint of freckles dance across his nose. But it is his eyes that dominate his face. Brilliant, glowing green eyes. They are beautiful. Darker streaks of green shoot through the light green of his irises. And his eyelashes that shadow them are thick and black. _Black_. The man has silver hair, but his eyelashes are black. It makes me curious. But I do not mention it.

"Hurry up!" He growls louder this time. I jump back. I had become mesmerised by his eyes. Now I quickly jab his finger. It goes in deeper than I mean it to. He hisses and glares at me. It makes me feel worse. I dab his bleeding finger onto the Reader's pad and he snatches his hand back. Now my hands are shaking. I turn away from him to hide them.

I feel like the Reader is taking forever to find the blood-mako concentration. Sephiroth feels it too.

"Can't you make that thing go faster?" He snaps.

"Sorry, sir." Is all I can reply.

He sighs impatiently. Now he is tapping his foot against the metal leg of the bed. It makes a low sound.

Finally, the Reader beeps. I release a breath I had not known I was holding. I hear Sephiroth do the same.

_78%_

I calculate the dosage of mako he needs. It is an average dose.

Like Genesis, Sephiroth wears a coat. But his is black.

"Please take your coat off sir." I ask, loading the syringe.

He looks disgusted that I should ask him that now. I can tell how he feels. He hates me for making this longer for him. He wants to be out of here as soon as he can. To him I am dallying and going at a slow pace.

He fumbles with the straps on his coat then pulls it off. He does not wear a jumper underneath so his chest is exposed. His skin is like porcelain. It is pale and flawless. Not a scratch. Nothing to mar the surface. Under his skin are his muscles. Covering every inch of him. They give his figure very a strict shape: perfect definition.

I come towards him with the syringe. His eyes widen ever so slightly and his jaw is set. I smile apologetically and brush his arm with antiseptic. Then I insert the needle.

Sephiroth turns away, looking pointedly at the very same chair Genesis had glared at not too long ago.

"Is it done?" He hisses.

"Almost."

It is finished. I pull the needle out. "All done. Thank you for your patience." I say.

He doesn't even hear me. He is already out of the door.

He has also left his coat behind.

I sigh. Administering mako shots is unpleasant work.


	4. Zack Fair

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 nor any of it's characters.

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><p>Zack Fair is a newly appointed SOLDIER First. He is unlike any of the others I have seen before. The others were calm very business-like. Zack, however, is not. He bounces through the door, waving to someone outside. He is also very loud. It causes me to stop shuffling through documents on the desk and turn to look at him.<p>

He spots me too.

"Hey!" He greets me "I'm Zack!" His face is split into a wide grin.

"Hello Zack." I reply "I will be administering your Mako shot today."

"Okay." He jumps onto the medical bed before I ask him to and sits there staring around the room. Really, it is a bare room. Nothing on the walls and spotlessly clean. The only exciting thing about it is the desk which I am currently still searching for Zack's folder.

"So, uh, you work here now?" He asks.

"Not exactly. I'm just a runner for the science department, but professor Hojo has me doing the mako shots today."

"Mmhmm, mmhmm" He nods. I finally find his folder.

"Okay, Zack. I have a few questions for you."

"Fire away!" He bounces on the bed.

"Have you experienced any blood loss in the last fortnight?" I ask.

"Yeah. A death claw scratched me real bad a few days ago."

"Right, how much –"

"And I was bitten by a gargoyle. That kinda hurt."

"Okay –"

"Oh! And I cut my finger trying to skin a potato."

_Zack Fair is an injury prone person _I decide.

"How long ago was all this and how much blood do you think you lost?"

I note everything down as Zack explains. He even shows me the cut on his finger. A jagged scar is visible, looking slightly like a thunder bolt.

Finally, we reach the next question: "Have you been ill in the last week?"

Zack's face brightens up. His grin gets even wider and his bouncing gets faster.

"Oh, yeah! Remember the gargoyle? Yeah, it was trying to use poison breath or something, but then I shoved my fist into its mouth to stop it..."

_So he was bitten and poisoned_. I listened to his account as he described his "heroic" battle.

"Er, sir, we don't have much time–"

"–And I finally swerved behind it and killed it with _one_ stroke." Zack finishes. He has an eager look in his eyes, as if he is expecting praise.

"Well, that was daringly fought" I say awkwardly. He laughs and thanks me, brushing off my praise, although I can tell he has taken it to heart.

"Final question, Sir –"

"Aw, don't call me sir" He interrupts. _He really is a vocal child_ I find myself thinking.

"Final question, Zack" I correct myself "Are you currently injured in any way for suffering from sickness?"

"I think I may have gotten a bit of food poisoning from the potato." He admits.

Right then, I find it _very_ hard not to sigh. Indeed I find it very hard not to simply dismiss the SOLDIER First Class and reschedule his mako treatment. But if I did that, I would be in trouble.

Instead, I ask him for his hand and he offers me both, pulling off the gloves in haste. I only take one and prick him on the finger.

"Ah! That hurts!" He says.

I look at him quizzically, "You were bitten by a gargoyle, scratched by a death claw and you say _this_ hurts?" This man is fascinating to say the least. He is optimistic and childish and eager. Almost like a _puppy_. I have never met anybody like him.

"Well, those injuries hurt more, but this hurts too."

I must refrain from smiling at his comment, but that is very hard to do.

A small drop of blood oozes out and I dab it onto the Reader. Zack takes back his hand and puts his finger in his mouth. He sits there sucking.

"Hey, that's the thing that reads your mako-blood concentration!" He leans over to see it taking his finger from his mouth.

I simply nod.

"How does it work?"

"It compares the ratio of blood to mako then divides the ratio in half and gives a percentage" I reply.

"Yeah, but how does it do that?"

"I don't know..." _He is also curious_ I note.

"What happens if you have too much mako in your system?" He asks. He has begun swinging forward and backwards/

"Your cells will start disintegrating."

"And too little?"

"You'll lose your SOLDIER abilities"

"What if..." And he continues until the Reader beeps.

"What percentage did I get?" He leans over again and almost falls off.

"Twenty-six percent." I say, alarmed at the sudden motion.

"Is that low?"

"Lower than is ideal, yes. But that is to be expected." Due to his recent blood loss and poisoning, Zack's mako-blood concentration has gone very low.

"Hmm. Okay"

Once again, I calculate the amount of mako needed and fill the syringe. It is a lot.

"Do I need all that?" He asks nervously.

I nod. "Please remove your pauldrons."

He takes them off. His swinging becomes faster and his eyes dart about. Only then do I realise: _he is extremely nervous_. No wonder he was talking so much. He must have been trying to release the anxiety.

"Please calm down, si-Zack" I say soothingly. "This will be over momentarily."

"Uh, yeah".

I wipe his arm with antiseptic and insert the needle. He whimpers, just like a puppy.

"Tell me about how you defeated that death claw" I say, trying to make him feel better.

"I didn't." He admits "Angeal had to do it for me."

"Oh" That was a bad question for me to ask. I regret it.

Once the shot has been administered, I pull the needle out as fast as I dare without causing Zack further discomfort.

"All done Zack!" I say as cheerily as I can, pressing a fresh cotton ball against the small needle hole.

He nods gingerly and lightly slides off the bed, swaying as he does so.

"Will you be alright?"

He nods. Pressing his hand over the cotton. I let go and turn back to the table.

There is a heavy thump and I whirl around.

Zack is unconscious on the floor.

My eyes widen and I fall to my knees trying to wake him.

He groans and rolls over. He seems okay.

I decide then and there, that I will _never_ do mako shots again.


End file.
